How To Use Ladders Safely

Working at height will always include an element of risk. In order to remove and reduce that risk, certain protocol needs to be followed. On average, 15 people die from falling off ladders in Britain each year. Around 1,200 suffer from serious injuries and about 25% of falling from height accidents occur from ladders. If you are thinking of working with ladders you should consider a ladder training course that deal with both ladder safety training and working at height regulations.

Basic safety

One of the problems with using a ladder in the workplace is that many of us feel comfortable and familiar with these elevated tools. By failing to pay attention to the risks and dangers of working from height, thousands of workers have paid the price in a very painful way. If you think of the ladder as a very large tool and start understanding that you need to respect and follow a set of safety measures, you can begin to learn about the ways of working with one. Before you even think about climbing on the ladder, you need to carry out a visual inspection. Any loose or missing parts will mean that the ladder should not be used for your activity. You should also check to see if the ladder is of sufficient size to perform the task in hand.

Choosing the right ladder

You should always select the correct ladder for the task at hand. First you need to consider the working environment and pick the ladder type based on these factors. If you are working around electricity, always choose wood or fibreglass option. Aluminium is a great choice when you are working in a power free zone because its light-weight construction makes it easy to manoeuvre. Always ensure that your ladder is long enough to reach the target area and avoid using ladders that are too long.

Training courses

If your job requires you to work at height from a ladder, it is essential that you receive the correct ladder safety training. Falling from height is a very serious problem in the industrial workplace and more than a quarter of those accidents involve a ladder. 

Our training courses include:

Ladder & Stepladder User course - Delegates will be competent to:
- Assess and determine when it’s appropriate to use a ladder or stepladder
- Correctly locate and safely use ladders & stepladders
- They will have an understanding of:
- What they need to know about the law and standards relating to ladders & stepladders
- Hazards in the use of ladders & stepladders
- Storage & handling of ladders & stepladders

Ladder User & Inspection Combined - Delegates will be competent to:

- Assess and determine when it’s appropriate to use a ladder or stepladder
- Correctly locate and safely use ladders & stepladders

They will have an understanding of:

- What they need to know about the law and standards relating to ladders & stepladders
- Hazards in the use of ladders & stepladders
- Storage & handling of ladders & stepladders
- Assess and determine when it’s appropriate to inspect a ladder or stepladder
- Record finding & recommend action to be taken if faults are found
- Accurately record details of ladders & stepladders

If you want to learn more about Ladder courses we provide, why not get in touch with out expert team? You can get in touch by calling 01708 361430 and a member of the Skyward Training team will answer any questions you may have about any of the courses we have on offer, including our PASMA training courses and CITB training courses.